Lake Ontario Fruit Program Enrollment

Program Areas

  • Food Safety
  • Variety Evaluation
  • Market Development
  • Pest Management
  • Cultural Practices

Enrollment Benefits

  • Telephone / Email Consultations
  • Fruit Newsletter?
  • Direct Mailings
  • Educational Meetings & Conferences
  • In-Field Educational Opportunities
  • On-Farm Research Trials

Enrollee Login

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  • Issues of Fruit Newletters
  • Helpful Diagnostic Tool:
      What's wrong with my crop?

Raspberries / Blackberries

Raspberries / Blackberries Raspberries are the most widely grown bramble crop in New York planted on over 450 acres in all regions of the state. Both floricane (summer bearing) and primocane (fall or ever-bearing) raspberries are grown and yellow, purple and black fruited cultivars in addition to the popular red raspberries make up the tasty crop. Ninety percent of the estimated 1.1 million pound annual raspberry crop is sold for fresh market and the remaining 10% is used to make value added items including preserves, juice additives and fruit wine.

Blackberries are closely related to raspberries and are grouped together with them in the 'Bramble' category of berry crops. Blackberries differ from raspberries in that the receptacle within the berry fruit is eaten along with the berry. For raspberries, the receptacle is left on the plant, leaving a hollow berry for consumption. Blackberries are also a more tender plant, successfully grown on 450 acres in more temperate regions of the state including Long Island, the Hudson Valley, the Finger Lakes region and fruiting districts near the Great Lakes.

All bramble crops need well drained soil as they are susceptible to soil borne diseases particularly Phytophthora. Potential growers should be aware of cane diseases and other pest problems, as well as the fact that raspberries and blackberries have an extremely short shelf life after harvest, making adequate post-harvest cooling essential. Brambles are often trellised adding to the production costs which can average about $4000/acre.

High tunnel production of raspberries and blackberries has been increasing throughout New York State thanks to research done by the Cornell University Department of Horticulture. This type of protected culture allows growers to extend the productive season of raspberries, extend the potential production sites of blackberries throughout the state and allows growers to produce a much higher quality fruit.

For more information about bramble culture, visit the Cornell Fruit Resources: Berries.

Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD)

Last Modified: June 25, 2023

SWD resource links.


Lake Ontario Fruit Webinar Recording & Video Links

Last Modified: July 10, 2020

Check Out Details for Links to recent LOF webinar recordings & video series.


Agriculturally Significant Fruit Fly 2020 Quick Guides

Last Modified: June 25, 2020

Now available quick guides and links for European cherry fruit fly (ECFF) & spotted wing drosophila (SWD).


Pollinator Resources

Last Modified: May 31, 2019

Links to help protect pollinators in your orchards.


DEC Registered Pesticides for New York

Last Modified: January 30, 2017

This the the link to access the the NYDEC pesticide registrations.  Access labels here.  

Bureau of Pest Management - Information Portal - http://www.dec.ny.gov/nyspad/products?13

Did You Experience Drought Issues on Your Farm?

Last Modified: January 23, 2017

Did You Experience Drought Issues on Your Farm?
Please Help Us Collect Regional Information So We Can Help You Be Better Prepared in the Future

As you know, the summer of 2016 was a period of lower than average rainfall combined with higher than average temperatures that led to a drought of moderate to unprecedented severity in New York and much of the Northeast

A 2016 NY drought survey is being conducted and we need your input.
Please click on details for more information.

Niagara Co. Vegetable & Small Fruit Grower Meeting Presentations

Last Modified: March 7, 2016

Small fruit presentations from the Tuesday March 1, 2016 Vegetable & Small Fruit Grower Meeting in Niagara Co.

Revisions in EPA WPS comment period open until Dec. 23, 2015

Deborah Breth, Integrated Pest Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program

Last Modified: November 13, 2015

EPA is finalizing changes to the WPS. The WPS is a regulation primarily intended to reduce the risks of injury or illness resulting from agricultural workers' and handlers' use and contact with pesticides on farms, forests, nurseries and greenhouses. The rule primarily seeks to protect workers (those who perform hand-labor tasks in pesticide-treated crops, such as harvesting, thinning, pruning) and handlers (those who mix, load and apply pesticides). The rule does not cover persons working with livestock. The existing regulation has provisions requiring employers to provide workers and handlers with pesticide safety training, posting and notification of treated areas, and information on entry restrictions, as well as PPE for workers who enter treated areas after pesticide application to perform crop-related tasks and handlers who mix, load, and apply pesticides. The full content if you want to review and comment can be found at http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0184-2510.
A summary chart of major cahnges between the new revisions and the current standard can be found here. 
http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-09/documents/comparison-chart-wps.pdf

2015 Winter Fruit School

Last Modified: February 25, 2015
2015 Winter Fruit School

Presentations from the 2015 Lake Ontario Fruit Program Winter Fruit School.

Spotted Wing Drosophila

Last Modified: June 3, 2014

Spotted Wing Drosophila has become an issue in berry crops around NYS.  More information on trapping and monitoring this pest are included in the following PDFs.

Produce Handling for Direct Marketing

Craig Kahlke, Team Leader, Fruit Quality Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program

Last Modified: January 13, 2014

NRAES-51, Successful direct marketing of fresh fruits and vegetables depends on providing quality items in a clean and customer-friendly environment. This publication is valuable for growers who sell seasonal produce at local farmers' markets or roadside markets. It describes postharvest physiology, food safety, produce handling from harvest to storage, refrigerated storage, produce displays, and specific handling and display recommendations for over forty types of fruits and vegetables. Eleven tables and eight figures are included. (1992)

Successful direct marketing of fresh fruits and vegetables depends on providing quality items in a clean and customer-friendly environment. Produce Handling for Direct Marketing, NRAES-51, is an invaluable guide for the grower who sells seasonal produce at local farmers' markets or roadside markets.

The Commercial Storage of Fruits, Vegetables, and Florist and Nursery Stocks

Craig Kahlke, Team Leader, Fruit Quality Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program

Last Modified: January 13, 2014

The information contained in this preliminary version of HB-66 has been assembled from information prepared by nearly 100 authors from around the world. The version posted here is a revised copy of a Draft made available online in November 2002 for author and public review and comment.

Bramble Harvest & Postharvest Handling 2012

Last Modified: January 9, 2014

Brambles (raspberries and blackberries) are the most delicate of the small fruit we harvest in the Northeast, so special care must be taken in their handling. Since nearly all of the bramble operations in our region are harvested by hand for the fresh market, training pickers becomes extremely important.

Animals in Fruit Crops

Last Modified: January 8, 2014
Animals in Fruit Crops

Orchards and other fruit crops are great habitat for many animals for food, and shelter.  Deer, voles, rabbits, wild turkeys, and beavers, have caused damage to trees, bushes and fruit resulting in serious economic losses. Animals also pose a challenge for growers who participate in Food Safety audits to prevent contamination of fruit at harvest time. Growers must take steps to manage animals in fruit crops.  P. D. Curtis prepares and updates the Wildlife Damage Management Chapter in the Cornell Pest Management Guidelines for tree Fruit and also for Berries.  

Brief Overview of Labor Regulations & Recordkeeping for Farm Businesses

Matthew Wells, Production Economics & Business Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program

Last Modified: July 31, 2013

This document provides a brief overview of state & federal labor regulations that apply to many fruit farms in N.Y.S., as well as examples of record keeping forms that assist growers in meeting these regulations.

Spotted Winged Drosophila found locally and throughout New York and New England

Laura McDermott, Team Leader, Small Fruit and Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture

Last Modified: August 7, 2012
Spotted Winged Drosophila found locally and throughout New York and New England

In light of these findings, blueberry, summer and fall raspberry and day-neutral strawberry growers are urged to be vigilant about this pest.  


more crops
Apples

Apples

Apricots

Apricots

Asian Pears

Asian Pears

Blueberries

Blueberries

Cherries

Cherries

Currants

Currants

Gooseberries

Gooseberries

Nectarines

Nectarines

Peaches

Peaches

Pears

Pears

Plums

Plums

Raspberries / Blackberries

Raspberries / Blackberries

Strawberries

Strawberries

Unusual Fruit

Unusual Fruit

more crops

Upcoming Events

Outfield Demo at Cornell AgriTech

March 28, 2024
Geneva, NY

Join Outfield's founders Jim and Oli as they demonstrate the system and share the experience of growers using Outfield last year to make more high value fruit, reduce costs, and improve sales with accurate advanced yield forecasts. 

2024 Respirator Fit Testing Clinic

April 3, 2024 : Orleans CCE Fit Testing - afternoon
Albion, NY

The New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH) and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orleans County are pleased to provide respirator fit testing clinics for agricultural businesses in your region on April 3rd.


April 4, 2024 : Orleans CCE Fit Testing - morning
Albion, NY

The New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH) and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orleans County are pleased to provide respirator fit testing clinics for agricultural businesses in your region on April 4th.

2024 DEC Special Permit Handler Training - Wayne County

April 9, 2024
Newark, NY

Special Permit Training (SPT) for 2024 will be held in person at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Office.

Announcements

Scaffolds podcast

Many of you probably read Art Agnello's statewide tree fruit updates and recommendations newsletter, "Scaffolds". Dr. Monique Rivera is bringing it back, but in a new audio version. Episode one was recorded this week, and is now available for free online at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scaffolds


Save the Date! - Scroll down for Upcoming Events

Have you missed a meeting recently? Scroll down for available recordings or pdf links or visits our YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/LakeOntarioFruitProgram

2024 Events:

28 Mar - Outfield Demo at Cornell AgriTech - 1 - 3:30pm, Cornell AgriTech

3 Apr - 2024 Respirator Fit Testing - 1-5pm, CCE Orleans, Schedule Today

4 Apr - 2024 Respirator Fit Testing - 8am - 12pm, CCE Orleans, Schedule Today


10 Apr - DEC Special Permit Handler Training - CCE Orleans 


15 Apr - Virtual Orchard IPM Scout Training - 2-4pm - Zoom

13 Aug - 2nd Annual WNY Fruit Grower Tour - Orleans County



Food Safety Virtual Office Hours

Cornell Institute of Food Safety "Virtual Office Hours", Tuesdays Noon to 1pm https://cals.cornell.edu/institute-for-food-safety/resources/virtual-office-hours

Past recorded virtual office hours can be found on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZJs5b7KUuvfcquH3ZtQHo5dSmF2m5MdQ


Webinar Recordings & Additional Meeting Materials

Check out the recordings of some recent webinars and/or conference materials from in person events: Recordings and Playlists are available at https://www.youtube.com/c/LakeOntarioFruitProgram

2024 Winter Fruit Webinars playlist on the NYS IPM Program YouTube Channel


PACMAN Details and Resources, Meeting Recording Links below:




Pollinator Resouces

Now available Pollinator Resource Links


Meeting Recordings Now Available

Did you miss the recent meeting?  Check and see if we recorded it and added it to our website or Lake Ontario Fruit Program YouTube Channel.

Honeycrisp Meetup recordings available here.

Why are my trees growing so poorly? recording available here.

Additional Recorded Webinars listing with recording and resource link are available at



New Publication on Growing Pawpaws

Are you a fan of pawpaws? These custardy fruits can be hard to come across, so this guide provides information on how to grow your own pawpaw from seed, and how to care for grafted seedlings. Pdf on growing now available.​ https://lof.cce.cornell.edu/submission.php?id=799&crumb=crops|crops|unusual_fruit|crop*50

New Weed Management Technology Survey

Want to move away from herbicide reliance? Are you using novel technologies to manage weeds? We want to know about it to inform our weed science research. A team of weed scientists from University of California Davis, Oregon State University, and Cornell University are asking berry, tree fruit, tree nut, and vine crop growers to take 5 to 10 minutes and answer this short and anonymous survey. Weed Technology Survey link: https://cornell.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bEpfAijoP7puQDP

For more information on this survey please visit http://blogs.cornell.edu/swd1/2020/12/02/new-weed-management-technology/


Pollinator Webinar Series - Summer 2020

The Pollinator Webinar Series presented by Penn State cover bee health and pollination services.



Bloom Pesticides for Pollinator Health

A reference table created by Janet van Zoeren and Anna Wallis, is now available at https://lof.cce.cornell.edu/submission.php?id=711&crumb=pests|pests.